Shall I take it bit more off the top for you sir?
Another one of those unique opportunities to record an unusual job in the Museum came up recently when Gabby, one of the conservation placements, was putting the facial reconstructions back in the second case.
Philip II’s hair was in a slight state of disarray and Gabby kindly reached into the display to ‘tease those tangled tresses’ back into place.
Not a problem the real king would have troubled himself over unduly, I’d imagine, as he enforced Macedonian hegemony over Greece and made plans to take on the Persian Empire.
Had he troubled more over his coiffure, might the course of history have been different? Somehow I can’t imagine him saying: “Cancel the battle of Chaeronea – bad hair day!”
Or was it only the Spartans who took pains over their hair? The study of hair in archaeology and ancient history is by no means a brand new speciality but this must be pretty well unique as a niche activity!
Ancient Worlds 